Glasgow Has Christmas Wrapped Up - Oh Yes it Has!

It has been described as the most satisfying Christmas shopping experience in the UK outside London (2007 Yellow Pages survey), with giant malls, high street favourites, designer boutiques and specialist stores – all in a compact, walkable space - and now characters from Glasgow’s festive theatre productions have been recruited to a drive to highlight that Glasgow has got it all this Christmas.

 

A dream cast of Cinderella (King’s Theatre), Dorothy (The Citizens Theatre), Mother Bruce (The Tron) and the Snow Queen (The Arches) together with Santa and some little helpers, accompanied a giant sleigh piled high with presents down Buchanan Street today (November 12) to promote www.seeglasgow.com as the definitive guide to everything you need to know about Glasgow this festive season.

 

The website, which has been developed by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB), is packed with information on what to see and do this Christmas – including full details of Winterfest - as well as great gift ideas, store opening hours and details of transport initiatives.  There’s even special offers from city restaurants, and, for those travelling from further afield, some great hotel deals.

 

The initiative is part of the £250,000 ‘Christmas Wrapped Up’ campaign, which has been developed jointly by GCMB and key city centre retailers - St Enoch Centre, Buchanan Galleries, John Lewis, Frasers, Princes Square and Debenhams – to try to ensure that Glasgow shops, restaurants and entertainment venues have a strong fourth quarter trading period.  And that Christmas shoppers have as stress-free an experience as possible.

 

Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau said, “City retailers, restaurateurs and entertainment venues have worked together as never before via the Internet.  Seeglasgow.com is your one-stop route to a great Christmas!”

 

Glasgow is consistently voted one of the top retail centres in Britain, and just last year had its super league status confirmed when the Academy of Urbanism selected Buchanan Street as its “UK Great Street” – ahead of London’s Regent Street and O’Connell Street in Dublin.

 

Other partners in the ‘Christmas Wrapped Up’ campaign are Culture and Sport Glasgow, SPT, First Scotrail, the Glasgow Restaurateurs Association and Greater Glasgow Hotels Association.

 

Steven Purcell concluded, “This year it is particularly important for us to highlight Glasgow’s shopping credentials to the broadest possible audience, and I am delighted with the support we have had from the private sector to do just that.  The city centre is absolutely magical at this time of year, made all the more special by a feast of festive entertainment that would be hard to beat in the UK.”        

    

Extended Opening Hours
Glasgow retailers are running some exciting initiatives to entice shoppers to spend longer in the city, with a number of stores opening late in December.  See www.seeglasgow.com for details as they become available.

 

Getting to/around Glasgow 
Planning your journey to the city by car, train, underground or bus couldn’t be easier.  Through December St. Enoch Centre and Buchanan Galleries will be offering free parking after 5pm, providing 3,000 spaces to coincide with extended opening hours.  There are approximately 8,000 spaces throughout the city centre.

Travelling by public transport is equally simple.  With train, underground and bus times, as well as park and ride details, www.joinupmyjourney.com offers convenient routes into the city centre.  First Scotrail run fast and frequent services into Glasgow all year round, but will be supplementing these with additional trains on Sundays in December on certain routes in Strathclyde.                  

Supporting Quotes:
Susan Nicol, Centre Manager for St. Enoch Centre, said: “Glasgow has earned a strong reputation as one of the UK’s top shopping destinations and is rated number two, second only to London.
 
“This festive season shoppers need look no further than Glasgow City Centre which has everything you can possibly need.
 
“Within the city centre there is a fantastic range of retailers from leading high street stores to exclusive brands as well as specialist independents. There is also a host of stores in the heart of the city offering great value ensuring that Christmas shopping can be fun and easy for everyone.”

 

Hamish Miller, Centre Manager, Buchanan Galleries, said: "We are delighted to be supporting such a fantastic event to promote Glasgow as a Christmas shopping destination.  This Christmas is sure to be a great occasion for all Glasgow shoppers."

 

Lesley Ballantyne, Managing Director, John Lewis Glasgow, said,” John Lewis is thrilled to be part of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau’s exciting Christmas Wrapped Up campaign.   Glasgow truly is one of Europe’s most vibrant, dynamic cities for shopping and its stylish atmosphere is renowned throughout the world.   As well as providing everything even the most dedicated shopper could need Glasgow sets the scene with its stunning backdrop of Victorian architecture, and secures its place as the must visit destination for shoppers of all generations.   John Lewis is delighted to mirror the standard of retail excellence that Glasgow offers, and we’re looking forward to welcoming shoppers to this thriving city this Christmas.” 

 

Gary Slattery, Store Manager, House of Fraser said, “House of Fraser are delighted to be part of this initiative, which highlights the city centre’s premium retail offer and promotes Glasgow as the destination of choice for Christmas shopping.”

 

Jane Cowan, Centre Manager, Princes Square said, ““Christmas is a really special time of year in Glasgow and Princes Square is proud to be part of the city’s festive celebrations. At Princes Square there is so much for shoppers to do – from enjoying Christmas cocktails with friends, to browsing designer boutiques and picking the perfect present for loved ones.”
 
Princes Square will hold it’s annual Christmas light switch-on and Reindeer Parade on Thursday 13th November from 6.30-8.00pm. On 20th November, Princes Square will launch Wish List evenings in the centre – personalised shopping registers with favourite present choices, emailed to shopper’s loved ones to encourage them to indulge its sender with the gift they long for.
 
Along with Vivienne Westwood, Princes Square has also recently welcomed footwear retailer Kurt Geiger.”
 
Chris Paton, Store Manager, Debenhams, Glasgow said, “We are pulling out all of the stops this year to ensure our customers have a stress free Christmas. At Debenhams, we offer a one stop shop for all of your gifts, whether it be gifts for him, gifts for her or gifts for the kids."
 - Ends -

 

Further information from: 
Sharon McEwan/Christine Ferguson, BRIGHT PR. 
Telephone: 0141 248 1234; mobile: 07801 560 231/07753 573 706
Or
Nancy McLardie - Head of PR
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
Tel: 0141 566 0830; mobile 07710 349394
 
   This year all of Glasgow’s major city centre seasonal events are being brought together in Winterfest. They include